Researching Strategy Use In L2 Vocabulary Learning--A Cross-sectional Study On GE & ESP Words

This research investigates the roles of strategies in vocabulary learning, systematically categorizes those strategies and compares the different contribution of different vocabulary learning strategies in general vocabulary learning and specific vocabulary learning based on Oxford's learning strategies theory. This study tried to find out which vocabulary learning strategies are frequently used in specific vocabulary learning and general vocabulary learning and whether these strategies have cross influence on the process of general and specific vocabulary learning. The specific research questions of this research are: 1). What is the relationship between students' vocabulary learning strategies and their vocabulary proficiency of GE and ESP respectively? 2). What type (s) of language learning strategies do students prefer to use in their vocabulary study? 3). Are there any preference variations in strategy use between high-efficiency learners and low-efficiency learners? 4). Are there any preference variations in strategy use between GE vocabulary learning and ESP vocabulary learning of high-efficiency learners? 5). Are there any preference variations in strategy use between GE vocabulary learning and ESP vocabulary learning of low-efficiency learners?To these ends, data were collected from students of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. About 88 senior students have participated in a questionnaire in which participants marked the frequency of 45 strategies. Descriptive statistics indicated those strategies mat they use frequently and those they infrequently use. Factor analysis was used as a measure to validate the questionnaire. After that, participants were asked to take two tests: general vocabulary proficiency test and specific vocabulary proficiency test All the participants were divided into three groups according to their scores of the vocabulary tests, but only the first group and Ae third group, so called high-efficiency learners group and low-efficiency learners group, were available for the comparative analysis. The strategies thatthese two groups used and the correlation between learners' proficiency and strategy use were analyzed respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were involved in the present research.The major findings of the research are: 1). For all the vocabulary learners, although their scores of those proficiency tests are significantly correlated with each other, their preference of strategies in GE and ESP vocabulary learning seem to be less correlative with their proficiency level. The use of strategies in their learning of these two kinds of vocabulary is significantly correlated. As far as sub-strategies are concerned, their preference of strategy use changes when learners' learning concern turns from GE vocabulary to ESP vocabulary; 2). Regarding the use of strategies in GE vocabulary learning, no statistical significance has been found between high-efficiency learners and low-efficiency learners. Low-efficiency learners seem to need more corporations from others in learning GE vocabulary; 3). In the ESP vocabulary learning, there are still no statistically significant differences, but the gap between their preference is wider man that in GE vocabulary learning; 4). For high-efficiency learners, the compensation strategies are used with the highest frequency both in their ESP vocabulary learning and GE vocabulary learning, learners learn the new words in ISP more independently; 5). For low-efficiency learners, more cognitive strategies and few metacognitive strategies are used in their ESP word learning, but more compensation strategies and few social strategies in GE word learning are applied. This research presents that strategies do have significant influence in the students' specific vocabulary learning as well as general vocabulary learning.